Tasty Tuesday

I bought a new Weight Watcher's cookbook and I've determined it was a good investment since I have been using it pretty much non-stop. There's a great variety of options: quick meals, more time consuming meals, lunches, sandwiches, etc. I love it. I thought I'd share every so often about recipes I've been trying that are especially tasty!

This dish was fantastic, filling (I think because of the chickpeas), and healthy! The hardest part was cutting up the veggies...everything else is done in the microwave! I think it's one of those dishes where you could add whatever vegetables you wanted and play with the seasonings (kind of like I did!) and it would still come out great! Enjoy!!

Provencal-Style Vegetable-Chickpea Stew

1 eggplant (1 pound), cut into 3/4 inch dice (I didn't use eggplant)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 (28-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained (again, you could play with this too. I used garlic & onion flavored)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 red bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 small zucchini, sliced (I used a green squash & a yellow squash. Nice color!)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (I used a red onion)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 1/2 cups rinsed and drained canned chickpeas (I used 2 cans)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I fresh grated a block)

Stir together the eggplant and oil in a large microwaveable bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and prick a few holes in the plastic. Microwave on high until the eggplant is softened, about 4 minutes. (If you don't use the eggplant, just add oil in with the other veggies.) Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans and Parmesan to the eggplant and stir to combine. Microwave, covered, on High until the veggies are softened, about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with the Parmesan.

(1 1/2 cups = 7 Points)